ACA Cinema Project

The ACA Cinema Project is a new initiative organized as part of the “Japan Film Overseas Expansion Enhancement Project,” an ongoing project founded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan (ACA) to create opportunities for the increased exposure, development and appreciation of Japanese cinema overseas through screenings, symposiums and other events held throughout the year. With 21st Century Japan: Films from 2001-2020, ACA Cinema Project introduces a wide range of Japanese films in the United States, a major center of international film culture, together with Japan Society.

“The ACA Cinema Project was launched with the hope of sharing the diverse appeal of Japanese films to audiences around the world and to create more opportunities for these films to be seen. We are pleased to present audiences in the U.S. with the works of various directors including well-established masters, filmmakers with distinctive voices and rising stars of the 21st century. This time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to present our inaugural film series online. We hope that many people will be able to freshly encounter Japanese films.” —Katsura Toda, Senior Specialist for Arts and Culture at the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan

“It’s a great pleasure to present this inaugural ACA Cinema Project film series together with the Agency for Cultural Affairs. While it’s impossible to really capture the last two decades of Japanese narrative fiction filmmaking in its full breadth, we are excited to share at least the tip of the iceberg for these three weeks in February and showcase what modern Japanese cinema can offer.” —K. F. Watanabe, Deputy Director of Film at Japan Society

21st Century Japan: Films from 2001-2020 is co-presented by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in collaboration with Visual Industry Promotion Organization. Series consultant: Aiko Masubuchi.